Police Operation Against 'IJT Hooligans' Fails

Lahore, Apr 05: The police operation against a group of the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) activists at the Punjab University's Hostel No 16 failed on Sunday due to the late arrival of the police. The IJT activists were involved in the recent violence at the university.


According to sources, PU Resident Officer (RO), Prof Shahid Gul, contacted the Muslim Town DSP at around 2:40 pm to inform him about the presence of wanted people. But the heavy police contingent reached the spot at around 4:40 pm but by that time, the Jamiat activists had managed to escape.

A senior PU official said around 150 policemen had arrived under the supervision of DSP Muhammad Naveed Irshad and SHO Shoaib Khan to carry out the operation. He said the police thoroughly searched the hostel "but it was too late".

A senior PU faculty member, asking not to be named, said it was ironic that the administration did not involve the universityís security guards, which provided an opportunity to the miscreants to escape.

Meanwhile, a PU press statement said the police officials concerned were informed about the presence of the IJT activists at Hostel No 16 around 2:45 pm while the police party, headed by DSP Muhammad Naveed Irshad and SHO Shoaib Khan, raided the hostel at around 4:30 pm.

"The wanted elements had succeeded in escaping at around 4:20 pm due to which no arrests were made," it added. The statement said the PU administration and the boarding students welcomed the operation and expressed the hope that the close liaison between the law enforcement agencies and the university authorities would continue in the future as well and the police force would not rest until the illegal occupants were flushed out of the varsity hostels.

It further said the long-awaited police action against the outside elements in the PU had not only boosted the image of the police for the faculty and students but it would also help speedy restoration of peaceful academic and research atmosphere in the university.

When contacted, RO Shahid Gul said the administration had received information that seven to nine IJT activists were present in Hostel No 16, adding that the information was passed on to the police.

DSP Muhammad Naveed Irshad said as six police reserves were involved, it took around one-and-a-half hours to get ready for the operation. "I did not have such a force at the police station and had to call the force from the police lines," he added.